Ask the Expert Archive Week 11
Snoring and Sleep Apnea
A lot of people can't sleep because the person beside them is making a big racket at night. But there's snoring....and then there's sleep apnea, a very dangerous type of snoring. Dr. Paul Caldwell has some advice.
Snoring is the word that we use to describe the sound of the vibrations of the tissues at the back of the throat during sleep, it is very very common and it is comical, at least sometimes it is. Snoring is not very funny for many people because two-thirds of Canadian marriages complain that snoring is a significant stress to the marriage. If you sleep with a snorer, you sleep on average an hour less per night. But there is one form of snoring that is deadly - or at least very dangerous, it is called sleep apnea.
Apnea comes from the Greek and it means without breath. What happens with that particular kind of snoring is that instead of it being only partial obstruction to the airflow, there is complete obstruction to the air-passage so there is no movement of air. The snoring stops completely. And when the snoring stops, oxygen levels in the blood fall and the brain says WAKE-UP, so the snorer wakes up with a huge snort. And the cycle is repeated again and again overnight, sometimes hundreds of times, it is a bad pattern of snoring. It can be associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, even sudden death. It can be caused by all kinds of medical problems and usually can be solved by wearing a mask overnight. So if you snore badly - you should probably see your doctor. Remember, laugh and the world laughs with you. Snore and you sleep alone. If you would like to send a question to Ask the Expert you can either email us at rx@tvo.org or fill out our form.
 |
||
|
© TVOntario, 2003 Disclaimer |
||
|
This
website contains general information on the stories featured on Your Health.
Although it’s our goal to provide comprehensive information on health
and medical issues, please be advised that we cannot provide individual
medical advice on specific health problems.
|
© TVOntario, 2000